Improvement in car-couplings



G. P. SHAPER &' A. G. EWAR T, Gar-Coupling.

No. 213,946. Patented April 1,1879.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GARRET F. SHAFER AND ANDREW O. EWART, OF OANASERAGA, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 213,946, dated April 1,1879 application filed May 15, 1878.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GARRET F. SHAFER and ANDREW 0. EWART, ofGanaseraga, Allegany county, New York, have invented a new and ImprovedOar-Coupling; and we hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, making part of this specification, in whic Figure 1 is aperspective view of the coupling and link. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalvertical section. Fig. 3 is a perspective and bottom view of the slidingsupport. Fig. 4 shows details to be referred to.

Our invention relates to that class of carcouplings in which thedraw-head contains a sliding block to sustain the pin when raised, and asliding plate to sustain the link; and it consists in certain details ofconstruction, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, wherebywe are enabled to strengthen and cheapen the device.

In order that those skilled in the art may make and use our invention,we will proceed to describe the manner in which we have carried it out.

In the said drawings, A is the main casting of the buffer, and itsbottom is provided with two parallel slots, a a, and anupward-projecting stud, b, and a downward-projecting stud, d, and acircular opening, 0, at the points shown. In buli'er A is a slidingblock, H, having a depression, f, in its bottom to lie over stud b, anda forwardly-proiecting shelf, g, lying close to the upper side of thebox. The center of the block H is reduced greatly in size at h, but hassquare bearingsurfaces M t" i, to slide in the bumper. The rear of thesliding head has a beveled depression, K, against which abuts the end ofa crank-lever, F, which passes through an opening in the buffer, and ispivoted to lugs J on the top of the casing. The forward end of lever Fhas 7 attached to it by a link a coupling-pin, P,

said pin passing through opening 19 in the top of the casing, andthrough opening 0 in the bottom of the casing, and through a slot, 8, ina sliding-plate or link-support, B, which is held loosely against theunder side of the buffer by means of plates 0 O, and has its front endmade at q in general conformation with the face of the buffer. Thesliding plate B is retained in place and limited in movement by thedownward-projecting stud d on A, which passes through central slot, 1'.The plate B also has slots Z l, coinciding with slots at a in thebuffer, and the weight of metal is not only reduced, but egress isafforded for any trash or extraneous matter which may get into thebuffer.

When the forward end of lever F is brought up, the pin P is drawn fromthe drawhead, and at the same time the rear end of the crank-leverforces the sliding block forward until shelf 9 lies under opening 19 andsustains the pin, as seen in Fig. 1.

When the link is forced into the draw-head it pushes block H back, andpin P falls and secures the link. Bet'ore the car bearing the linkapproaches the car to be coupled the sliding plate B is pulled out, andthis so sustains the link that it will enter the draw-head of the othercar, and will not sag enough to strike below it.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

The sliding-block H, as described, and provided on its under side with adepression, f, in combination with the draw-head east with stud b, asshown.

GARRET F. SHAFER. ANDREW O. EWART. In presence of.-

FRANK DAKE, HARLIN H. HILL.

L. s. L. s.]

